This is an old blog that I started in 2006. I keep it because it has a lot of historical data and people still come here. As of September 2016, no new updates will be made here. All new blog posts and writing/publishing related news will be posted over on my new site at www.jenniferhudsontaylor.net.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

When you send out a press release on your latest book or speaking engagement, where does it go? Does it go to world, national or local media? Who do you send it through? If you don't send out your PRs to the right people, you might as well throw them in the trash. The links below are places to begin your media research, not endorsements. Other services and links are offered on these sites that will lead you to other research options.

~ SmallBusinessDepot (http://www.smallbusinessdepot.com)Return on Investment (ROI)Whether you hire someone to create your website or design it yourself, you will want a return on your investment. That's why you need to give great consideration to the development, layout and over all design; as well as how you'll market your website.If you want to partner with others, sell ads on your site, or trade promotional favors, stats from your site are your bait. This is why tracking your website statistics will help you and potential business partners determine your ROI.

Examples of tracking methods would be online surveys, opt-in newsletters, blog comments, guestbooks, etc. Other methods would be software programs that automatically track the basic statistics for you such as www.sitemeter.com, www.web-stat.com, www.opentracker.net or you can hire a professional website developer to design a specific software program tailored to your needs.

Most websites depend on one of the following e-models for successful ROI.

~ Branding – This is more than determining the brand content in your novels. Online branding is the distinct "look and feel" readers will find when they visit your site, see your banners, tag line, logo, etc. Although these measures are hard to determine in dollars, readers will develop author recognition when shopping for their next book.

~ e-Direct – This is online direct marketing through email at low costs, which can be very profitable when handled professionally and ethically. Build your email database through opt-in email submissions, contests, feedback surveys at events, etc.